How to understand what cats are thinking. Cat logic or how cats think

There are not many animals in nature about which everything seems to be known; they have been with humans for millions of years, but they still remain a mystery. These are cats.

Today - about these amazing creatures.

26 facts about cats

1. When chasing prey, a cat holds its head horizontally at the same level, while dogs and people shake their heads up and down.

2. Cats are mostly right-handed, and cats are mostly left-handed. An interesting fact is that 90% of people are right-handed, and the remaining 10% are left-handed, and they are mostly men.

3. A cat cannot climb down from a tree upside down because all the claws on its paws are directed in one direction. So the cats have to climb down the tree backwards.

4. Scientists believe that a cat can pronounce consonant sounds: m, n, g, x, f, v.

5. Cats can make up to 100 different sounds, but dogs can only make 10.

6. The brain of a cat, unlike a dog, is more similar to the human brain. Cats and humans have identical areas of the brain that control emotions.

7. During the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII recognized cats as the devil incarnate and thousands of cats were burned. This led to an increase in the rat population, which worsened the effects of the plague epidemic, nicknamed the Black Death. Has the cat god taken revenge?

8. According to legend, Noah prayed to God to help protect all the food in the ark from rats. In response to this, God made the cat appear when the lion sneezed.

9. In Siam, when the coronation of the new king was held, cats rode in a carriage, being at the head of the procession.

10. For short distances, a cat can reach speeds of about 49 km/h.

11. A cat can jump up to five times its height.

12. Cats almost always land on their paws: the balance organs are located in the cat’s inner ear, and the tail also helps to align the trajectory.

13. Cats rub against people not only because they are affectionate, but also to mark their territory with the scent of glands located around its face.

14. Scientists are still arguing about exactly how a cat purrs. Most believe that it is the vibration of the vocal cords located deep in the throat. To do this, the muscles of the larynx open and close the air corridor about 25 times per second.

15. When a cat died in a family in Ancient Egypt, family members shaved their eyebrows as a sign of grief. The cat was embalmed and the mummy was placed in the family crypt or animal cemetery along with the mummies of mice. In 1888, more than 300 thousand mummified cats were found in Egyptian cemeteries.

16. The earliest ancestor of the modern cat lived about 30 million years ago.

17. A cat usually has 12 whiskers on each side.

18. The ability of cats to find their way home is explained by the fact that cats either use the angle of sunlight or they have magnetized cells in the brain that act as a compass.

19. A cat's jaw cannot move sideways, so they cannot chew large pieces of food.

20. A cat's back consists of 53 vertebrae. A person has only 34 of them.

21. A third of cat owners think their pets can read their minds.

22. The most famous long-lived cat was Puff from Texas, who died in 2005 at the age of 38. Regular cats can live up to 20 years (about 96 human years).

23. A cat's nose has a unique print, just like human fingerprints.

24. Cats can detect an earthquake 10-15 minutes before a person feels it.

25. 95 percent of their owners talk to their cats.

26. Cats are aliens. Even some scientists are sure of this. In their opinion, the main task of cats is to observe creatures on Earth, and proof of their alien origin is amazing abilities that other animals do not have.

Mustache records

Boeing is resting!

The loudest cat in the world has been found - the British Smokey: his purring can drown out even the sound of a Boeing 737 engine, because it makes sounds of 92 decibels (a similar “loudness” is possessed by an airplane landing). His owners claim that the cat purrs so loudly that they cannot hear the TV and cannot talk on the phone. Scientists have checked and confirmed that the “accusations” are justified.

We didn't wait

His owner forgot to take one New York cat with him when moving to another state. Five months later, upon returning home, the owner found the pet curled up in his favorite chair. The cat covered more than 3.5 thousand km.

Flyer

The owners sent the cat Beagles from Australia by plane to Auckland (New Zealand). The Australian airline Quintas experienced real stress: the cat did not arrive at its destination, but a week later it turned up... in the cabin of another plane flying to Sydney. During this week, the wanderer flew around almost the whole world, having traveled from Australia to New Zealand, and then from Melbourne to Sydney and from Fiji to Singapore.

Kulibina

The scientist Bernard Courtois was conducting some chemical experiments in 1811, and his beloved cat was sitting on his shoulders. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, a frightened cat jumped from the chemist’s shoulders and broke the flasks with chemicals standing on the table. One of these flasks contained an alcoholic tincture of seaweed, and the other contained ferric sulfate salt. The contents were mixed, a violent reaction began with the release of smoke.

When the reaction took place and the smoke settled, the scientist saw brown crystals on the table. These crystals were later called “iodine”. It is a pity that the name of the inventor was not preserved in history.

Next to the greats

The English king Charles I adored cats: he believed that without his beloved cat he could not see happiness. He was so worried about the health of his favorite that he even assigned a guard to her. The cat died, and a few days later the king was executed.

Oligarchs

One rich lady opened accounts in Switzerland for her cats. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds of Switzerland fined these cats for hunting - they were charged with "systematic killing of birds." The fine was paid from the cat's account. For confirmation, the bank employees issued a form with the paw prints of the “depositors.”

In the Queen's Service

Britain's most famous cat is the late Wilberforce. He lived in the Prime Minister's residence, where he was assigned to catch mice. He served under four prime ministers. Sometimes the cat was even allowed into government meetings! Margaret Thatcher brought him treats from all over the world. When Wilberforce died, Margaret Thatcher announced this directly at a cabinet meeting.

What do cats think about?

We, dear readers, have already talked about the thoughts and feelings of dogs. But, as you remember, scientists tried to find out what our furry pets, cats, are thinking about. Cats, of course, cannot be compared with dogs - they are completely mysterious, sometimes completely unpredictable creatures. They can jump on their knees, cuddle and purr, and a moment later they will snort, bristle and run away about their cat business. So what are these “alien” creatures thinking?

In the course of research and experiments, cats confirmed their “mysterious” role. That is, scientists have not really completed a single experiment! It was only possible to find out that cats are unusually smart, have sharply “sharpened” brains, and their cognitive abilities turned out to be an order of magnitude higher than previously thought. So, unlike the previous article dedicated to dogs, now we will only speculate and speculate!

Cats make no difference between themselves and people. According to Dr. John Bradshaw from the University of Bristol (UK), cats believe that people are the same cats, only bigger. And they judge us by their own standards.

You and I are already familiar with some of Dr. Bradshaw's conclusions. Now the scientist has published a new detailed article in National Geographic. He develops his own thoughts: cats never adapt to anyone and do not change behavior patterns depending on those in whose company they are. Cats are always the same and natural - whether with their owners, in the company of other cats, etc.

Moreover: cats have a very high opinion of themselves, they know their worth well. And they consider themselves masters of the situation. Have you ever noticed how freely and masterfully cats behave in the house? There is a complete feeling that this is their home, and they are just allowing us to live in it. Out of mercy.

Cats are confident that they can control their owners; but this does not mean at all that they consider us fools. According to Dr. Bradshaw, cats do show respect and appreciation for us. An interesting point in the behavior of cats is when they rub against the legs of their owners. This honor is “rewarded” exclusively to owners or animals that are at a higher level in the hierarchy. In relations with “subordinates” the tailed animals do not allow themselves such tenderness.

Cats are subject to the concept of “object permanence.” We took the shoes and put them in the shoe closet. At the same time, the shoes have not disappeared anywhere - they are just now not at the door, but in the closet. Babies, for example, do not understand this. It seems to them that mom magically appeared at the crib and then disappeared somewhere. Children grow up and over time they understand that their mother has not “dissolved”, she is somewhere nearby, busy with some things. Cats are delicate animals; they understand that boots are strictly in the closet if you put them there. And dogs, alas, are like babies: there were boots - and they are gone. And then they miraculously appear again.

Moreover, if cats discover an object that attracts their attention, they immediately focus on it and are ready to look at it constantly, for hours. You and I can only dream of such a deep immersion into the “object”!

Cats think about how to get food and know several ways to do it best. Scientists once conducted a simple experiment: they took a string and tied a treat to one end. Let the cats in! All the purrs easily figured out how to get food: you just need to pull the string. The experiment is indicative: cats quickly recognize the physical essence of everything that happens around them.

Cunning cats “get to the bottom of” people, reading their gestures, behavior patterns and even speech (although, of course, they don’t understand a word). So, they perfectly remember what gestures you unconsciously use before feeding them. Many of us also say - well, come here, now you will get your food. And cats are even more cunning - they actually begin to lead their owners to the bowl, hinting that it’s time to fill it.

But cats think about us, it's true! Tell me, have you never caught the gaze of your pet? Nothing special - he's just looking for ways to get closer to you!

Cats actually spend a lot of time studying their owners, trying to remember and put into practice all the nuances of their psychological state. They do this for selfish purposes - how to beg for a tastier piece!

Some owners just give up - it seems to them that their pets are simply indifferent to them. Scientists are categorical - no, this is not so. Cats know and love their owners, which has been confirmed experimentally. You just have to find the keys to your furry pet’s heart!

Oh, and there's a lot more going on in the depths of a cat's mind. Scientists still cannot get close to solving these mysteries. And we simply advise lovers of these wonderful animals to learn to understand and find a common language with them. And happiness and harmony will come to your home!

Despite the fact that cats were domesticated about 9.5 thousand years ago, people still don’t know much about their pets. For example, it is unlikely that any of us can firmly answer the question of what cats “think” about people, in particular about their owners. John Bradshaw, a cat behaviorist from the University of Bristol, wrote a whole book about how these animals perceive the surrounding reality, including you and me.

The book is based on scientific research that Bradshaw conducted for more than 25 years. They involve observing the behavior of cats in groups, studying their social structure and ways of interacting with each other, as well as with the owner. Since early in his career Bradshaw conducted the same research on dogs (book In Defense of Dogs), now I was able to compare the results and draw interesting conclusions.

Cats think of people as big cats

It turns out that dogs and cats perceive people completely differently. Dogs understand that humans are a completely different animal and always change their behavior when they interact with them. Suffice it to say that a dog will never play with a person the way he plays with another dog.

But cats, if, of course, one can put it that way, do not separate themselves from humans at all. For them, he is just a big cat, and the ways of interacting with him are no different from those accepted in the cat community. Cats communicate with us in the same way as with other cats.

When a National Geographic journalist asked Bradshaw a provocative question about whether cats think we are too stupid, the scientist replied: “No! Perhaps somewhat clumsy, because it is rare for a cat to trip over its owner, while this happens quite often to a person. But not stupid. When a cat rubs against another cat, it means that she recognizes her primacy.”

Cats learn a lot from people

Cats make various sounds to attract attention to themselves and their needs, and scientists believe they learned this from humans. This is why domestic cats can be so talkative. They also treat different family members differently and are more affectionate towards those who tend to get up at 4 a.m. to give them something to eat, Bradshaw says.

When a cat climbs onto a person’s lap and moves its paws, this is a form of behavior characteristic of kittens in relation to their mother, just like purring. In response, the mother licks the kittens, which is what cats actually seek from us - affection.

When asked if cats are trainable, Bradshaw replied that they are. You can teach them various tricks with the help of treats, but with unwanted behavior it is more difficult. If you want to stop your cat from jumping on the table, you will have to use negative reinforcement, such as splashing water, but try not to let the cat notice that the discomfort is coming from you. Cats do not know how to forgive and will stay away from a person who has made them feel bad.

Cats are susceptible to stress

But what struck the researcher most was how strongly some cat diseases are linked to stress. For example, he found that cystitis and dermatological problems can be solved without any drug treatment if two cats that do not get along with each other are moved to different places in the house.

In this regard, Bradshaw warns: if you want to take home another cat, try to do it very carefully and be prepared that you will have to part with the second pet if he does not get along with the old-timer. A cat is a much less sociable creature than a dog, and it is much more difficult for her to make friends.

Larisa Solodovnikova

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And VKontakte

“The cat tries to stay on your lap, even when you get up from your chair. Until the last minute, she hopes that your conscience will wake up and you will sit back down” - it seems that this phrase reveals all the deep cat nature. But these animals, well aware of their deliciousness, behave this way for a reason.

We are in website found amazing facts about this furry caste that will not only surprise you, but will once again prove that, as Alf said, life without cats would be boring and joyless.

11. The cat's meow doesn't mean anything.

9. Cats don’t have a day-night routine.

Domestic cats live without a schedule, just 24/7. They do not have a specific night; they split their sleep throughout the day as they please. Therefore, if your cat suddenly thinks that at 3 in the morning he is capable of incredible adventures, it is not because he is a nocturnal animal or his regime has lost track. He just wanted it that way.

8. Domestic cats originated from this prairie cat

7. Cats have their own calendar

The average lifespan of domestic cats is 14 years, stray cats - no more than 2 years. Although there are also long-livers, for example, the cat Creme Puff, who lived for 38 years, is included in the Guinness Book of Records. To draw an analogy between cat and human life, there is conditional table:

6. Cats often specifically ask to open the door for them so as not to come in later.

Despite the fact that the joke “they don’t come in because the textures don’t have time to load” is very good, we found another answer: cats don’t so much want to enter this door as they need to control the territory. If the door is closed, then behind it is the unknown, potentially fraught with a bunch of dangers. And with the door open, everything is visible, you can calmly continue to sit in the first room, thank you, man, for opening it, go back to your place.

5. Cats participated in wars

The prize for the most cunning method of using cats in military operations goes to the Persians: they covered themselves with cats as a human shield during battles with the ancient Egyptians. The latter, for whom the cat was a sacred animal, could not harm such a shield in any way and, accordingly, did not attack.

During less original wars, cats were used as living air quality detectors: for example, in a trench they could give advance warning of an approaching gas attack. Well, their main purpose in such difficult days was psychological assistance to the soldiers. These little furry creatures resembled peace, home, comfort and were the hope of a return to calmer times.

4. Cats need to sniff out food for a long time before choosily rejecting it.

A fairly common sight: a cat sniffs out food, deciding whether it should eat it or not. Even if the food is delicious. Even if the cat is hungry and homeless. From the outside it seems that this animal is fastidiousness itself. But that's not true. The fact is that the cat cannot see what is located under her nose (see the point about vision), so she checks what kind of food is in front of her and what temperature it is - for lunch for pleasure, the temperature of her food should be approximately this the same as her body (38–39 °C).

3. Cats dream

Have you noticed that people move their eyeballs while sleeping? And sometimes they talk or even gesticulate. If you measure the activity of a person's brain during sleep, it is clear that this organ is actively working. The same measurements were carried out in cats: their brains are no less active. In addition, a cat's ears and whiskers sometimes twitch in its sleep, and it can also make sounds.

All this indicates that these fur creatures. We will even try to guess which ones:

2. Cats crush the surface with their paws for a reason

Surely everyone has seen how cats sometimes give a kind of massage to a person, or another cat, or a carpet and various other creatures and surfaces. Looks strange, doesn't it?

It turns out that this reflexive movement has roots from childhood: this is how kittens massage their mother’s tummy to regulate the flow of milk. Having matured, they act this way in pleasant moments when they feel protected and comfortable.

So if your cat paws at you, he loves you! If he kneads your fluffy blanket with his paws, he loves blankets. We think the logic is clear. And those who don’t have cats, we invite you to look at this cutie:

Hello!

Do you already have a wonderful cat or a favorite charming cat?

And you are wondering if your fluffy gold and about what in general cats think?

Amazing! Today we will fully understand this issue. I will say right away that cats love to think about food and other things that give them pleasure... But cats and cats have many more different thoughts...

It is not for nothing that domestic cats have been considered a symbol of comfort and well-being for a century now: these creatures are so sensitive to their owners and their surroundings that one can simply be amazed at how appropriate and even obligatory they sometimes seem to be in our apartment! A month or two passes, and we understand that the cat has already become a member of the family, something very necessary in our lives, we quickly become attached to it and begin to love it like our own child. There are vibes of some kind of strong magic floating around this small animal, bewitching and tying us to it with the most incredible power.

Coming home from work or school tired, we fall exhausted into a chair and pet our cat, who immediately jumps onto our laps, and we ourselves understand with pleasure: how good it is to return home like this, to our warm, cozy apartment, where you will always be greeted by this beautiful purring creature - and fatigue goes away by itself...
In order to better understand a cat, what it wants and what it feels, you need to have the skills of the finest feline psychologist or seer, because the signals and impulses that this mysterious animal gives are usually so faintly perceptible and veiled that reading them requires considerable observation and almost perfect instinct.

Sometimes, for example, you might think that a cat feels comfortable and completely calm, while she is very anxious and cannot find a place for herself. And vice versa: you can assume that the cat is rebellious and scared to death, although in fact she was attacked by cheerful enthusiasm, and she is simply inviting you to play with her!

How can you learn to read the feelings and desires of your beloved pet? In this article we will look at several interesting behavioral situations, the understanding of which will undoubtedly help you establish better contact with your cat and even more sensitively understand the thoughts and feelings of these beautiful animals.
First of all, you will have to immediately come to terms with the idea that you can learn to absolutely accurately understand the feelings of cats: this is such a lengthy and ambiguous science that there is very little chance left. However, cats are living beings and live with us, and therefore we see them and can try to read their thoughts and desires, for example, from the movements of the body and tail, from the position of the ears, from the size of the pupils, from the sounds that the cat makes . The task is complex, but still very interesting and worth closer consideration. So let's get started...

Stage No. 1. Learning to understand BY THE TAIL, what do cats think about.

So, for example, if a cat wants your warmth and attention or just wants to eat, its tail curls like a question mark,

and if the cat feels relaxed, then the tail already takes a horizontal position and its very tip looks down.

When the tail rises sharply and its bend becomes especially noticeable, this usually means that the cat is aggressive and wants to show you to stay away.

If the tip of the tail looks vertically upward, it means the cat is alarmed by something and feels internal discomfort.

You can also read the emotions that the animal is experiencing at one time or another by the movements of its tail. For example, if a cat is very irritated, it sharply jerks the tip of its tail from side to side. She behaves in a similar way when she is noticeably excited or preparing to jump after the mouse.

When a cat attacks, its tail becomes as hard as a branch, and if it also swings it around, then this movement reveals stress in it, showing that it is scared or simply feels danger.

If a cat wants to be alone, then it simply raises its tail up, hides its gaze and hastily leaves the room.

Stage No. 2. Learning to understand by the muzzle, what do cats think about.

Of course, a cat's face does not have very clear facial expressions, such as, for example, a dog's face, however, even here you can try to read something.

If a cat is very aggressive, then she looks straight ahead, her pupils narrow and become vertical, her whiskers stick out rigidly, her ears are pressed tightly to her head.

If she is even ready to rush at the enemy, then a wide-open mouth with exposed teeth and gums is added to the above-described signs.

When a cat is scared and wants to obey, its pupils dilate. At the moment when she is serene and feels completely calm, her eyes close, and the inner eyelid becomes noticeable from the edges of her eyes. Pay attention to the movement of the ears: when they are tense and the cat presses them to the sides - this is a warning, if back - internal fear, if it carelessly moves them left and right, it means it is simply exploring something or has seen something very curious.

Stage No. 3. Learning to understand by the movement of the torso, what do cats think about.

Also observe the cat's body and the movements it makes with it, because these signs can be very eloquent. If, for example, a cat bends into an arc and stands on straight legs, then in this way she wants to give a signal to the enemy to get out of the way. If she is thinking only about defense and there is more fear than aggression in her, then the cat simply lies on her back or side, and, spreading her claws, presses her paws to her chest or extends them to their full length.

When a cat is especially peaceful and wants your attention, then, arching and stiffening its tail, it begins to persistently rub against your legs, meowing or purring. If your pet behaves in this way, then do not be lazy to respond with mutual affection: cats love such an owner very much and quickly become attached to him, loving him devotedly and distinguishing him from all other household members, you just need to have time to be the first in her hierarchy of values.

Stage No. 4. LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND BY MEOWING AND PURSING, what do cats think about.

To enhance signals, cats often resort to sounds. Meowing is by far the most common sound signal.

However, a cat almost always produces such a range of emotions with the help of meowing that it is difficult to talk about the differentiated semantic load of this sound signal. There may be a request, a demand, indignation, or a plea... Moreover, the intonation may practically not change.

Another thing is purring! With this pleasant sound for any ear, the cat most often expresses its sympathy for you; at such moments it feels especially calm and enjoys your company.

Cats also often purr during hygiene procedures, combing themselves with their tongues, or when they have just eaten and are full - here the purring can turn into a blissful rumbling.

But beware of the cat when it hisses: in such seconds it simply boils with anger and it is better to leave it alone.
In conclusion, I would like to add a simple piece of wisdom: if you pay attention to your pet more often and analyze its behavior, then over time you will be able to establish the closest contact with it, when you can understand your cat with just a flick of its tail or movement of its ears.

And most importantly, love your cat, and she will always pay you in the same coin, then mutual understanding with her can be established without extra effort.

P.S. Well, this was the opinion of my Aunt Sveta, a veterinarian, about What do cats think about?

I, like a black cat, believe that it is much easier to learn to understand us cats and cats than professionals think.

What do you think: what was your cat thinking about today? I would be glad to hear about it from the comments to this article!

Your black cat, Jose Carreras with love at la-murmur.ru.